Material & Sewing Crafts
for Kids and Adults

How to Make Crafts Using Material

Kangaroo iPod Pouch Sewing Craft for Kids

This simple sewing project is great for children eight and older. The pouch can be used for iPods, business cards, or Bible verse cards. Instead of using felt, you can use fun foam and just glue the pieces together, and instead of using a button for the nose you can use foam and use velcro for the clasp.

1. Print out the Patterns and use them to cut the pieces from tan or brown felt squares. Cut inner ears from pink felt and glue them to the top of the ear pieces.

2. Sew a straight stitch at the top of the pouch piece (Curved edge)

3. Stack the piece one on top of the other starting with the back piece, the front pocket and then the pouch on top. They should match up at the bottom as shown in the picture to the left.

4. Stick the arms and feet pieces between the back and front pocket pieces and use straight pins to hold them in place. Sew all the pieces together using a small straight stitch as shown in the picture by the red dotted lines.

5. Fold the top of the back piece forward to form the flap and decide where you want the button nose. Mark the place with a marker on the front pocket piece. Sew the button on by reaching your hand inside the pocket and using embroidery floss. Stick the needle through the felt and the buttonhole and then back through the felt to the inside of the pocket. Bring one end of the floss all the way through and tie the two ends together to secure it in place.

6. Fold the flap down again and mark where the button should come through. Cut a small slit the same length as the button through the material for a buttonhole.

7. To finish glue on googly eyes and ears. You can also use embroidery floss to sew on a mouth. You may also want to add a rope to the pouch to carry it on your shoulder.

Sock Doll Clothes and Sock Dolls

Use old socks to make clothes for your dolls and stuffed animals. These are cheap and easy and take very little time to make. Most of them where made without any sewing. Go to Sock Doll Craft Page for directions.

Horned Owl Decoration or Change Purse

These charming little owls can be used for many different purposes. Stuff them and make them plump for a child's toy, fill them with rice to make rice bags, hang them on your Christmas tree, string them together to make Christmas garland. Add a zipper and use them as change purses or gift holders.

What you will need:

Fabric or Felt

Buttons or Felt for the Eyes *Note- decorative buttons can be very expensive. You can find buttons like these on used clothes at rummage sales. Recycle!

1. Cut out one each of the the body shapes and four each of the wing shapes from fabric.

Member's

Instant Download Pattern $2.00 -

2. Use one of the body patterns to make the front of the owl. Glue or sew on buttons for the eyes. Large orange buttons and decorative gold buttons with black shiny middles were used for the eyes of the owls pictured. The shanks (back of the buttons) were cut off using pliers. You can also use felt or googly eyes. Cut a triangle shape for the beak from gold felt and glue between the eyes.

3. Sew Rick Rack, ribbon, or other decorative items on the front of the owl. You can also use fancy sewing machine stitching or embroidery.

4. Making the owls out of felt is much easier than using muslin because you don't have to worry about frayed edges, and you don't have to sew the material and then turn it right-side out. To make the felt owl place the wings and feet between the body patterns and pin them to keep them in place. If you would like to include a loop for hanging the owl, cut a piece from the felt, fold it in half and then pin it between the body pieces so that it is up side down. Sew all the way around the body to secure the feet and wings. If you want the owl to be plump, leave part of the top of the head between the ear tuffs open, stuff it with Polyfil, and then sew it closed.

5. If you would like to make a change purse. Cut open the back of the owl as shown in the pattern and sew in a zipper. Then sew the front and back together.

6. To make the muslin owl decorate the front piece first. Sew two wing patterns together and then turn them right side out and stitch around the edges. (You could use felt for the wings instead and you would only need to cut two wings.) Pin the wings to the front body part so that the wings are facing inward. Pin the feet to the body pattern so that they are facing upward. Sew around the body pattern leaving the top middle part of the head open. Turn right-side out and then top-stitch all the way around the body.

You can also add a zipper to make a change purse. A pattern is provided for this also. The back pattern is in two pieces and is longer because you have to make a hem where the zipper is sewn on. Once you hem the pieces, place the zipper so that the teeth match up with the hemmed edge and sew it on. I unzipped the zipper to sew it on, then zipped it back up when I was done, and then cut off the extra length. When you sew the back and front together the zipper tab won't be able to come off the zipper.

"Jesus Loves You" Beanbag Craft

Cold Peel T-shirt Ttransfers such as
Wyndstone Jet-Pro (Do not use the hot peel transfers on felt
because the felt stretches when the transfers stick to the felt. If you can't find cold peel transfer that will work on your printer, use a poly/cotton material instead of the felt),

Angel Kisses Bag Craft

These little bags are great to use as treat or gift bags for special
occasions.

What you will need:

Material

T-shirt transfers

String

Red heart pony beads

Iron

How to make:

1. Print angles onto T-shirt transfer material.

2. Cut out the angels with the words attached close to the pattern.

3. Cut a piece of material 11" x 4 1/2". Fold the material, right side out, in half to form a rectangle 4 1/2" x 5 1/2". Position one of the angel transfers on the folded material 3/4" from the folded edge. The folded edge is the bottom of the bag. Iron the transfer on.

4. Fold the material wrong side out and sew one side 1/4" from the edge of the material. Sew the other side the same way except start 1 1/2" down from the top.

5. Cut a piece of string 20" long. Fold (iron) the top edge
of the bag over 1/4" to the wrong side. Fold it over
again 1/2" to make a casing for the string. Sew the casing
closed with the string inside. Put a red heart on each
end of the string and tie a double knot to finish.

2. Fold
the material in half with right sides together. Pin the body,
pectoral fin, and pelvic fin patterns onto the material and
cut out the patterns on the solid lines. Pin the dorsal fin
and anal fin patterns onto a single layer of material and
cut out the patterns on the solid lines.

3. Pin
the dorsal, anal, and pelvic fins onto the body patterns with
rights sides together matching up the points. The fish pieces
will be laying on top of each other.

4. You
can sew the pectoral fins on at point G now if you would like.
Or you can just use hot melt glue and glue them in place when
you are finished stuffing the fish.

5. Place
the other body piece on top of the body piece with the fins
sewed on (right sides together). The fins should be laying
flat against the body material so that they are inside the
fish. You will be sewing over the same stitches you
used to sew the fins on.

6. Sew
the fish together starting at one end of the caudal fin and
ending at the other. Leave the back of the caudal fin open.

7. Turn
the fish inside out and stuff with fiber fill. Sew the
end of the caudal fin closed and use pinking shears to clip
close to the seam.

8. If
you haven't sewed on the pectoral fins you can glue them on
now. Glue the wiggly eyes in place to finish. Do not
use wiggly eyes with small children. They could come
off.

9. These
fish can be colored with water paints, magic markers or fabric
markers or a combination of all three. I like the Crayola
washable markers because even young children can safely complete
this project. When the children are done coloring their
fish they can paint over the fish with water to make the colors
blend together. If the child goofs or doesn't like his work,
you can wash off the markers and start again.

10. A
string can be added to hang the fish. A fish mobile
can be made by hanging a collection of fish from a plastic
hanger.

Credit, Store, and Business Card Wallet Craft

These card holders are quick and easy to make, inexpensive, and can be designed with a personal touch for everyone you know.

What you will need:

Fabric

Felt Squares

Decorative Items

Velcro

Sewing Machine

Matching Thread

There are several different ways to make these adorable wallets depending on the material you use. The stiff felt wallets are the easiest and quickest because there is very little sewing. The material wallets take a little longer and require a little more sewing, but there you have a much wider selection of designs to pick from.

2. Pin the patterns to your fabric and cut them out. Cut two of the Wallet Cover Pattern. Cut the slits where indicated on the pattern. Note the x and y marks on the pieces from the pattern.

3. Place the two cover pieces together, right-sides together and pin the top part. The side without the letters x and y.

4. Sew around the top part from slit to slit. Trim the corner, and then turn the piece right side out. Poke the corners out and iron them flat.

5. Fold the two pocket pieces in half (right side of the material facing out) and top stitch 1/2' from the fold line on each piece.

6. Place the two folded pocket pieces on top the cover piece with the smaller pocket on the bottom. The x's and y's should all be on top of each other. The top of the larger pocket piece (the folded side) should match up with slits cut on the cover piece. Pin the pieces together and then stitch the pockets to the cover piece. Turn the pockets inside out so that both pockets are on the same side.

7. Stitch all the way around the wallet close to the edge.

8. Glue on buttons, Rickrack, ribbon, etc. to decorate the wallet.

9. Cut small pieces of Velcro and glue them to the wallet to keep it closed.

Felt Square Wallets - Soft felt

You can make two of these wallets one 50 cent square of felt.

How to make:

1. To make the main part of the wallet cut a piece of felt 8.5" x 4 1/4" or use the Pattern. Fold down the top and bottom of the piece, the 4 1/4" length, one-half inch and top stitch the folded material. Trim the folded part close to the seam

2. Measure two inches from the bottom folded edge and draw a line across the width of the material. This is where you will line up the bottom of the inside pocket.

3. To make the inside pocket cut another piece of felt 4 1/4" by 3" or use the Pattern. Fold the top edge down 1/2" and top stitch it down. Trim the folded part close to the seam.

4. Place the inside pocket on the main piece so that the folded edge is facing the inside of the main piece. You should see the folded down edge on the main piece and not the folded down edge on the inside pocket piece. Line up the bottom of the inside pocket piece with the line you drew two inches from the bottom of the main piece.

5. Sew the inside pocket piece to the main piece 1/2" from the bottom of the inside piece.

6. Fold up the bottom of the main piece at the two inch line so that it covers all but 1/2" of the inside pocket. Pin the folded bottom to the inside pocket and stitch all the way around the outside of the wallet as close to the edge as possible.

Felt Square Wallets - Made from Stiffened Felt Squares or Fabric that Doesn't Fray Such as Vinyl or Leather.

These wallets are made basically the same as the soft felt wallets above except that you do not have to turn down the edges because the felt is much sturdier.

How to make:

1. To make the main part of the wallet cut a piece of felt 7.5" x 4 1/4" or use the Pattern.

2. Measure two inches from the bottom edge and draw a line across the width of the material. This is where you will line up the bottom of the inside pocket.

3. To make the inside pocket cut another piece of felt 4 1/4" by 2.5".

4. Place the inside pocket on the main piece so that lining up the bottom of the inside pocket piece with the line you drew two inches from the bottom of the main piece.

5. Sew the inside pocket piece to the main piece 1/2" from the bottom of the inside piece.

6. Fold up the bottom of the main piece at the two inch line so that it covers all but 1/2" of the inside pocket. Pin the folded bottom to the inside pocket and stitch all the way around the outside of the wallet as close to the edge as possible.

2. Fold
the material in half with right sides together. Pin the pattern
onto the material and cut on the solid line. Use pinking
shears to cut the outside edges of the fins if you would like.

3. Mark
the darts where the fins should be attached at point A and
B on the wrong side of the cut out pieces.

4. Sew
the darts where you marked them on the fabric. You can sew
the pectoral fins on at point B now if you would like. Or
you can just use hot melt glue and glue them in place when
you are finished stuffing the sea horse.

5. With
right sides together sew the pieces together at the long dashed
lines (the front part of the sea horse).

6. Turn
the sea horse right side out. Stuff the tip of the tail, the
nose, and the coronet with some fiber fill.

7. Stuff
the rest of the sea horse. Pin the dorsal fin in place and
finish sewing the sea horse closed.

8. If
you haven't sewed on the pectoral fins you can glue them on
now. Glue the wiggly eyes in place to finish. Do
not use wiggly eyes with small children. They could
come off.

1. Print out the Pattern and trace it using a black fabric pen or black permanent
marker onto the white material using a light box or window. You can also use carbon paper.

2. Fold
the material over so that you have a double thickness.
Cut out the pattern around the outside lines using pinking
shears. Glue the two pieces together around the edges
using hot melt glue or fabric glue. Remember to leave
a place open to put the rice or beans in.

3. Fill
the bag with rice or beans and then glue the rest closed.

4. Have
the children color Jonah with crayons or child safe markers.

5. If
you have a safe place to use a hot melt glue gun in your class,
wait until the children have finished coloring their beanbag and then fill it with rice then glue closed.
This will make it a little easier to color.

6. If
you don't feel like tracing the pattern onto the fabric, you
can print the pattern onto T-shirt transfer material and iron
on the pattern to the material.

No-sew Bible Costumes

Play
acting seems to be one of the best ways our children learn
their bible lessons so we try to do it as much as possible.
The children always seem to remember the lessons that we act
out better than any of the other lessons. These are cheap to
make and take very little time.

What
you will need:

Buy cheap fabric that won't fray too much
(cotton polyester blends work well). These sizes are for 3 year
old children. You will want to make them a little bigger for
older children. Just make sure you don't make them too long
so that the children won't trip on them.

How to make: To make the tunic cut out a piece of material
28" x 56" and cut a hole in the center just big enough
for the child's head to fit through. To make a belt cut out
a piece of material 5" x 36" or a little longer.
To make a head cover cut out a piece of material 20"
x 46.

Rice Bag Bed Buddies

Do
you complain about cold feet or hands, or get really bad
headaches? Do you use a heating pad a lot, but are
worried about its safety? Well here is something that
just might help. Just pop them in the microwave
for a few minutes until they get hot enough. Depending
on the size you make, they will stay hot up to 3 or 4
hours.

What
you need:

Heavy material such as canvas or denim, Two pieces
at least 10" x 11" for the back or 5" x
12" for your neck. Some light weight material like
cotton or a poly/cotton blend for the cover (cut slightly larger
than the canvas). You will need at least 3 cups of rice
to fill the bag (don't use the minute rice) and potpourri,
spices or herbs for a nice smelling bag (optional).

How to make:

1. Cut
the heavy material to the size and shape you want (you
will probably have to experiment a little). Then
cut the light- weight material a little bigger to match (this
will be the cover since you can't wash the rice bag).

2. Sew
up all the sides with right sides together until you have
just enough space left to pour in the rice.

3. Pour
in the rice and sew the ends. If you don't like the smell
of rice, you can add some herbs or potpourri. The smell of
cooked rice goes away after you use the bag several times.
These are great for children when they have an ear ache.
Use cute material or make it in an animal shape. Or
take the inside out of a stuffed animal and sew the rice bag
in. Just make sure the animal doesn't have any parts
that will melt in the microwave and be sure you don't
get them too hot.

4. Make
the rice bag cover.

Here's
a quick and easy way to make a rice bag sent in by Bethany Davis
of Birmingham, Alabama. I took one of my husband's
old athletic socks that was too stretched out to use anymore.
(clean, of course!) Fill the sock with rice and tie a knot at
the top. Instant rice sock, we call it. It's the perfect size
for wrapping around your neck or shoulders, or for the small
of your back in the car on a cold day. And even those of us
who are sewing machine impaired can make this one!

Scrunchie
Snakes and Lizards

1. Cut a piece of material 27" x 3" for the snake
or 27" x 4" for the lizard.

2. Cut
out the mouth from a sheet of foamie and 4 legs from a
piece of felt if you are making the lizard, using the patterns.

3. Put
a knot at the end of one end of the string and attach
it to one of the long ends of the material either by
sewing it on or pinning it on. The string will help
you turn the material right side out once you have finished
sewing it.

4. Fold
the material long ways right sides together. Place the string
so it runs down the inside of the material. It should
be long enough to stick out the other end.

5. Sew
up the long end of the material leaving the ends open.

6. To
turn the material inside out pull on the string while gently
pulling down on the material at the other end. When you have
the material completely turn inside out, you can cut
off the string.

7. Fold
down one end of the pipe cleaner about 1/4' (this will
help it slide better into the material) and insert it into
the material until it is all the way in. Now glue that
end of the pipe cleaner to that end of the material.
Fold over the material and glue again. This will be the
tail end.

8. Push
the rest of the material down over the pipe cleaner by scrunching
up the material at the tail end. Continue this until
the pipe cleaner comes out the other end. Fold in the rough
edges of the material.